ngers. For the which
cause he perswaded them to accept some part of the money which they had
bestowed in the building of their house, and so to returne either home into
their own countrey, or vnto the port of Macao. Howbeit, such was the
instant supplication of the fathers, and so woorthy of compassion, that the
Tutan or Vice-roy, in the extreame and mediterrane borders of the prouince
of Coantum, assigned vnto them a new habitation at the city called Xaucheo,
commending them also to a certaine Magistrate, who was come from the same
place to salute him. Thither therefore the sayd others, not without great
sorrow and griefe of the Christians, hied themselues, and as we are
informed by their last letters, they haue euen now layed the foundation of
their first building, and haue also written that they are like to liue much
more peaceably and conueniently for the propagating of Christian religion.
These be the first beginnings of Christianity in China, where, euen as in
other places of the Christian Common-wealth, the seed is to be sowen with
great labour and teares, that acceptable fruits may be reaped with
gladnesse. LEO. It is euen as you haue sayd (Michael) and nowe for this
your pleasant and eloquent discourse we do acknowledge our selues much
bounden vnto you.
* * * * *
A Letter written from Goa, the principall City of all the East Indies, by
one Thomas Steuens an English man, and sent to his father, M. Thomas
Steuens: Anno 1579.
After most humble commendations: These shall be to crave your dayly
blessing, with like commendations vnto my mother; and withall, to certifie
you of my being: according to your will and my duety. I wrote vnto you
taking my iourney from Italy to Portugall, which letters I thinke are come
to your hands, so that presuming therupon, I thinke I haue the lesse need
at this time to tell you the cause of my departing, which nevertheless in
one word I may conclude, if I do but name obedience. I came to Lisbon
toward the end of March, eight dayes before the departure of the shippes,
so late that if they had not bene stayed about some weighty matters, they
had bene long gone before our comming: insomuch that there were others
ordained to goe in our places, that the kings prouision and ours also might
not be in vaine. Neuerthelesse our sudden comming tooke place, and the
fourth of Aprill fiue ships departed for Goa, wherein besides shipmen and
souldiers, there wer
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